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Too many tests.

Homework overload.

Demanding parents and coaches.

Relationship issues.

Not enough time to sleep.

These sources of high school stresses can take a toll on students who are working to get through the day while preparing for their future. The Relaxation Motivation Club was formed last year to help students manage stress and anxiety.

The club was started by Sophie Srivastava, Sammi Owyang, and Anna Singer, who were juniors last year. They dedicated their time into helping students find ways to relieve their stress and make school more manageable.

“The purpose of the club is to help students destress and learn tips for managing their stress. To achieve this, we usually start meetings with a presentation about a topic with some strategies for stress relief. Then we have an activity that people can do,” said Srivastava, the club president and co-founder.

Students participating in the club are primarily struggling with managing the intense amounts of stress because of their daily schedule and workload.

Student stress can come from sports, family challenges, AP and advanced classes, or college preparation. All of these factors can have a big effect on students’ mental health.

“I think the top three stresses for students are grades, huge workloads such as homework and studying, and college applications,” said Srivastava.

While many students struggle with the workload aspects of high school, others can have stress come from their personal life.

“Whether it’s financial, familial, or academic challenges, these factors can drastically impact someone’s mood,” said Samantha Torres, a member of the club.

To help students cope with anxiety, the club offers various techniques and activities to reduce stress.

“We have various activities like coloring, origami, making stress balls, comedy sessions, and more. Anyone can attend the meetings at lunch and participate in the activity that day,” said Owyang, a co-founder of the club.

Learning how to cope with stress will help students not only during high school, but in everyday life. Relaxation Motivation Club strives to provide a community for students to learn how to cope with stress.

“I think stress itself is prevalent in any teenager’s life. But how we address those stressors, especially in a safe environment is the important part. Being in a community of empathetic individuals helps foster a sense of comfort in life, which can sometimes be construed as a chaotic,” said Torres.

The Relaxation Motivation Club meets in room D25 on Fridays every first and third week of the month.